Quote Originally Posted by Oudeis View Post
I would like a little more information on these swing-bridges. Are they more massive on a short side? I am more used to seeing the one over the Tyne, which is in the middle of the river. These that are to one side must differ in design, drastically.
I may have to look this up later when I have some time, but if any of you have pics of these bridges when closed...pretty please.
Hi Oudeis, I don't know what you mean by 'are they more massive on a short side' but if you look up ahead here on a pic i've posted previously on this thread, you'll see a swing bridge just as it's opening. So they obviously span the canal as a road when closed then just swing to the side to allow vessels through.

The Tyne bridge, like the Runcorn one is fixed and is high level. Our dock road bridge is Bascule and lifts which is another design altogether even.



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I've never fully understood the mechanisms of how a lock works, I mean I know what it does but didn't know about the crescent shaped underground culverts which let the water in etc. Here's someone explaining it better than I could anyway.

http://pigpen.org.uk/locks.htm